Tag: healthy

Homemade Fig Newtons Recipe

Melissa King 168 Comments

Homemade Fig Newtons for you.  Before we cleaned up our diet, Fig Newtons were a big staple around here.  We all know how fig newtons are often touted as a healthy cookie option for kids.  But if you ever looked at the ingredients, most are not good.

My healthy fig newton recipe is so much healthier than store bought ones and a fig newton you can feel good about giving your kids. These fig newtons also taste better in my opinion. You definitely need to try them.

Homemade Fig Newtons

These are made with whole grains and no refined sugars, unlike the real cookies.  The real cookies contain high fructose corn syrup. 🙁  You can also use the recipe as a base to add in your own fillings.  If you filled these with fruit, they would almost taste like a Nutri-Grain bar as well.

The possibilities are endless.  I also added a little cinnamon to the dough to spice it up a bit.  I think it turned out well that way.  One other thing to note is, using the coconut oil will not make them taste like coconut at all, but it does help add a sweetness to the cookies.

Another great thing about this recipe is that it freezes well.  So you can make up a huge batch and freeze some for later. I suggest storing them in an air-tight container with a piece or parchment between each row of cookies.  That way, you don’t have to worry about them sticking together.

Homemade Fig Newtons

Homemade Fig Newtons

print shopping list
Prep Time 1 hr Cook Time 15 min Serves 16 cookies     adjust servings

A healthier version of the classic cookie.

Ingredients

    For the cookie

    For the filling

    • 15-20 figs (I used dried Turkish Figs I got at Sprouts)
    • 1 T maple syrup
    • water

    Instructions

      For the filling

      1. In a food processor, grind up the figs, 1 T maple syrup and a bit of water. You want the figs to be the consistency of peanut butter so only add a bit of water. I think I used about 1 tablespoon.
      2. Blend into a paste and set aside.

      For the cookie

      1. Preheat oven to 350.
      2. In one bowl mix all the dry ingredients.
      3. In another bowl, mix the wet.
      4. Add dry to wet and mix only until combined. Be careful not to over-mix. The dough will be sticky and a bit wet.
      5. Gather it in a ball and wrap it.
      6. Put the dough in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.
      7. Once firm, roll the dough onto a floured surface. I tried to roll my dough as square as possible.
      8. Once the dough is rolled out, spread the fig mixture onto half of the dough.
      9. Once the fig mixture is spread, fold 1 half of the dough onto the other and cut into squares. I cut mine into about 2×2 squares and used a pizza cutter to do so.
      10. Place on lined baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes.
      11. I got about 16 out of my batch.

      by

      Recipe Notes

      They should last a couple of weeks, but you can refrigerate them to make them last even longer. Enjoy!

      5 Minute Banana Ice Cream (Vegan)

      Melissa King 114 Comments

      This 5 Minute Banana Ice Cream is LIFE CHANGING.  Seriously.  Sometimes you just get a craving for some ice cream.

      I make banana ice cream when I get those cravings.  Most store bought ice creams are laden with additives, saturated fat, processed sugar and too many calories.

      I have an ice cream maker, but sometimes I forget to put the bowl back in the freezer.  So when I have a sweet craving, I make this super easy vegan banana ice cream.

       

      5 Minute Banana Ice Cream

      I have a smoothie version of this as well.  My Tropical Smoothie Peanut Paradise is made in a similar way.

      The best part of this recipe is that you don’t need an ice cream maker to make this.  I use my vitamix, but I have used a magic bullet in the past as well.

      You will be surprised at how decadent this banana ice cream tastes.  You will feel like you are cheating!  Can it get any easier?  I have used this many times to curb a sweet craving.  It really works!

      Looking for more banana ice cream recipes?

      5 Minute Banana Ice Cream

      5 Minute Banana Ice Cream

      print shopping list
      Prep Time 5 min Serves 1 serving     adjust servings

      This stuff is so rich and delicious, it feels like you are eating real ice cream!

      Ingredients

      • 2 peeled and frozen bananas
      • 2 T almond or peanut butter
      • 2 T almond milk
      • optional add ins: nuts, chocolate chips, fruit, coconut, cocoa powder

      Instructions

      1. In a blender, , mix the bananas and the milk. You may need to cut the banana into chunks depending on how powerful your blender is.
      2. Once they are partly chopped up, add in the nut butter.
      3. Continue to blend until you get a soft serve consistency.

      by

      Recipe Notes

      You may not even need to add the milk at all, but I think it helps blend everything easier. Spoon ice cream into a bowl and stir in any additional ingredients you desire. That’s it!

      Black Bean and Spinach Salad (Vegan)

      Melissa King 28 Comments

      Black Bean and Spinach Salad.  Spring is coming soon and it’s time to say good bye to the soups and hello to salads.  This light and fresh salad would be a good healthy addition to any bbq.

       

      black bean spinach salad

       

      I love dishes like this.  They are easy to make and always a hit.  This particular dish was inspired by one that my mother in law made.  I made a few changes to the original.

      This healthy salad is vegan and gluten free too.

      Black Bean and Spinach Salad

      Black Bean and Spinach Salad

      print shopping list
      Prep Time 20 min

      Ingredients

      • 2 1/2 cups black beans (I used dried, but measured after they were soaked and cooked)
      • 2-3 cups baby spinach
      • 2 cups organic corn (I used frozen and thawed out on the counter)
      • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
      • 1 shallot chopped
      • 1 yellow pepper chopped
      • 1 heaping T pomegranate molasses
      • Juice of 1/4 orange
      • 1/2 tsp garlic
      • 1 T avocado oil
      • salt to taste

      Instructions

      1. Throw everything in the bowl and mix.

      by

      Recipe Notes

      I think it tastes better the next day because the flavors have had time to marinate. This makes a good amount of salad. I would guess about 4 large portions. Should keep for a week, but ours will not last that long.

      Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

      Melissa King 80 Comments

      I highly recommend this Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding.  I have been really into chia seeds lately.  They are so good for you and the high fiber content keeps you full for a long time.  So when Pacific Foods sent me a few samples of their unsweetened non dairy milk, I knew I had to make a chocolate chia seed pudding.

      I already have a Chia Seed Pudding on the blog, but this time I decided to switch it up and do a chocolate version.  I used Pacific’s new unsweetened hemp milk for this recipe.

      I love the unsweetened milk because I like to control the sugar in my recipes.  This tastes decadent enough to have for dessert, but it’s also healthy enough to have for breakfast!

      I have been pretty stoked lately to see the organic berries coming back to the supermarket.  I have been waiting for them all winter.  They taste so good.

      chocolate chia seed pudding.

      Both my kids loved it.  Even my daughter Olive, who is tube fed, ate this up as you can see from the messy face in the next picture. Who can say no to anything chocolate?

      Another great thing about this healthy chia seed pudding is that you can easily take it to work with you.  Just put it in a small mason jar and you are on your way to work!  It’s a healthy breakfast recipe that should keep you fueled all the way until lunchtime.

      Olive

      Here are some recipes you can add chia seeds to:

      • Granola Bars
      • Cookies
      • Overnight Oats
      • Muffins
      • Smoothies

      So you can see they are very versatile.

      Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

      Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

      print shopping list
      Prep Time 5 min Cook Time 30 min Serves 4-5 servings     adjust servings

      Healthy enough for breakfast, but can be dessert too!

      Ingredients

      Instructions

      1. Mix everything up in one big bowl.
      2. Stir well and stick in the fridge to set for at least a few hours.

      by

      Recipe Notes

      This recipe is super easy and my kind of recipe! If you like a thicker pudding though, you can add a bit less milk.

      Strawberry Banana Waffles

      Melissa King 17 Comments

      At our house, Sundays have a morning tradition of homemade waffles or pancakes.  Last week we had Blueberry Oatmeal Waffles.  This week, my daughter requested strawberry banana waffles.  So that is what we had.

      waffles

      I mix all the dry ingredients the night before so it takes only minutes to whip them up in the morning.  I got five large waffles out of this batch.  There were hardly any leftovers.  I used freeze dried strawberries for this recipe, so if you use fresh, you may need to slice them thin and use a little bit less liquid.

      Do you have any weekend traditions?

      Strawberry Banana Waffles

      Strawberry Banana Waffles

      print shopping list
      Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 10 min

      Ingredients

      Instructions

      1. Mix all the dry ingredients and stir well.
      2. Then add the wet and mix only until combined. Be careful not to over mix. 
      3. That’s all there is to it.  I hope you all enjoy these as much as we did.

      by

      Marinated Vegetable Salad (Vegan & Gluten Free)

      Melissa King 33 Comments

      Marinated Vegetable Salad.  This is a dish we have been making for a long time.  We got the recipe from my mother-in-law.  I love cold salads.

      I recently wrote 5 Quick and Easy Salad Ideas that included a lot of my other salad recipes.  They taste great and don’t take much effort at all.  My kind of recipe if you haven’t noticed by now!

       

      Marinated Vegetable Salad

       

      We used dried beans for the recipe and just soaked them all in one big jar overnight, and then boiled them in the morning for about 15-20 minutes until they became soft.

      Then, we let them cool before putting this recipe together.  Dried beans are far cheaper and taste much cleaner too.  I never noticed that until I started eating them on a regular basis.

       

      Marinated Vegetable Salad

       

      Want to make this recipe?  Watch the video below.  For more videos, you can subscribe to my You Tube Channel.

      Looking for more salad recipes?

       

      Marinated Vegetable Salad

      Marinated Vegetable Salad

      print shopping list
      Prep Time 10 min

      Ingredients

      • 2 cups chickpeas
      • 2 cups kidney beans
      • 2 cups pinto beans
      • 2 cups corn (I used frozen)
      • 3 -4 T red wine vinegar
      • 2 T olive oil
      • 2 garlic cloves
      • 1/2 tsp salt
      • 1/2 tsp oregano
      • 1/2 tsp cumin
      • 3 green onions chopped
      • 3 stalks celery
      • 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley chopped

      Instructions

      1. Whisk together the vinegar, oil, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt in a bowl.
      2. Add the beans and corn.
      3. Then, add the onions,celery and parsley and toss to coat.

      by

      Recipe Notes

      You can eat this right away, but for the best flavor, please let sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours. That’s it. Easy! This makes about 6 good size servings servings. It should keep for at least a week in the fridge.

      Marinated Vegetable Salad